Good and Evil

When Good meets Evil. It happens every day. We all see it. Sometimes we just tend to block it out or some days we are just too busy to take notice.

Yesterday, it was pretty blatant and it was just too hard to miss.

I had a patient who is drawing near the EOL (End-of-life). She is becoming very restless. She says she had to go. Several of us were in the room. Some people want to restrain her but I like to find out what is going on so I started to ask her questions. So I started with, "Where are you going?"

"Over there, don't you see it?"

"Tell me about it" I said.

"That beautiful place, and that big house. The group is here to take me."

"Tell me more." I wanted to hear. For I knew I was on holy ground.

It had been a long time since I had seen this lady smile. This same lady that I had been sharing Jesus with some weeks ago.

"The Man has been talking to me. He's nice. "And in the background of her room was Pat Roberts from the 400 club talking about Jesus.

She is on her journey home.

On the other side of town is a man. We are not sure of his spiritual belief's. There has been concern. He is very young. He is dying. Yesterday, as his mom sat with him in his unresponsive state, she noticed a horrible smell. She could not imagine where it came from. It came and went very quickly.

Her son whom had not be responsive in some time woke up and said, "Take this pillow away, it smells horrible." He went back to his deep sleep. The mom and nurses smelled the pillow and there was no odor. There had only been the brief encounter with the most horrid odor the mother had ever smelled.

What did this mean? She cried.

Good?

Evil?

We have a choice.

For those that do not believe, think it's not real, go ahead and think that way.

One day, the truth will be told.

We know how the story ends.

The Hourglass Of Time--God or Satan

“I need to go now”, cried one of my peers. One of our patients is in trouble. She is declining rapidly and today she is in the darkest place of her life.

“Satan is after me”, she cried! This poor woman continued to beg for help.

No, she is not saved. She had led a pretty tumultuous life. Oh, some might say she was meaner than a striped rattlesnake. Come to think of it, her own son said, “She had Satan in her.” Our pastor had been out there numerous times to discuss her spiritual “issues”. But as most of us, “I’ll just handle this tomorrow.”

So, what happens when tomorrow comes? The hourglass of time runs out?

Today, her cries were just piercing to the soul as well as heart-wrenching. She pleaded for help. “Get him away, Satan is after me.”

As my peer left to go to her house, I said, “I will be praying for you as you minister to her in this raging war you are embarking upon.

Immediately, I picked up the phone to get others to pray. I cannot imagine losing her (or anyone) to Satan.” I called my husband without giving away her name (rules of confidentiality), and I said, “Please start praying.” And there were others. (Matthew 18:20)

My heart was so heavy all afternoon. I prayed without ceasing. The seconds became minutes and the minutes became hours.”God, You are the God of miracles.”(Like He doesn't already know this) but I kept saying this over and over. And I believe it!

Later, I received a phone call, “How did it go?” I immediately said as I saw her name pop up on my phone. My friend said, “Well, she was too weak to talk and open her eyes by the time I got there. So, I just shared with her how all we have to do is confess with our heart and believe in God’s precious Son.” She went onto tell me in so many words, that she shared with the patient that God is a forgiving God and a loving God. She wasn’t sure if she had made a difference or not.

Or that was until the end of their time together when---

in the last seconds,

through the patient’s weakness,

through the impossibilities and

through our Lord’s faithfulness,

as this little lady, squeezed the hand of our social worker and through her weakest voice , she whispered a heartfelt, “AMEN.”

It was then the realization that most likely a miracle had indeed occurred.

Sometime later the chaplain showed up, but by now, the patient was no longer responsive.

Now, just maybe our patient’s journey is complete!

So what about you, will you make the right choice before the sands of time are absolute?

The Saint That Fell Into Grace

The Saint that fell into Grace….

“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:5)

Did you hear about…? Or so and so…. Or I hear that another Pastor lost his…

It’s becoming such a common theme we do not even cringe. We are becoming desensitized. Or is it we are thankful that it is someone other than ourselves?

Oh, not because we are innocent although we might some times forget what our own “fleshy desires” might be.

Recently, a dear friend of ours fell and fell hard. His own flesh took its toll. He took a path of a non-fruit bearing life and yes, with his Jesus by his side (See, Jesus never leaves us). Our friend lived in the lie for many years which led him into a life of self-loathing. Eventually, our friend tried to take his own life. But God was not ready for him. He is alive but not without much pain to him and his family. And there are always consequences of our choices. He may now be on dialysis for the remainder of his life.

I learned that another friend that I have always looked up to is not perfect. Imagine that?! Do you think the song, “Don’t look at me, look at Him” brings tremendous merit here?

I am always on my husband about his own flaws or one in particular. In hit me and hit me hard this week that it is not my place to worry about that any longer. Matt 7:5 slapped me so hard, I truly felt dizzy. For my husband has his own journey with Jesus and who am I to interfere? I thought what about my own weaknesses, my own problems that keep me apart from perfection?

Oh, flawlessness, that is right, we are not the perfection that God speaks of when He thought of Someone as the perfect Lamb that gave His life! Otherwise, what did we need Jesus for! And as in Galatians 2:21, God reminds us that Christ did not die in vain.

But I still wonder, so many people, Godly people are falling into the fleshly desires. Despair. Pain. Disease. Disappointment.

I have my own weaknesses that keep me on my knees, weak and praying. It keeps me forever giving grace to my friends and family as I am aware of my own limitations. The plank in my eyes help blind me to the pride I think I once carried(s) and helps me to reflect on an inner love that can only come from God. Spiritual blindness! Not an accident but part of God's plan.

It is almost as if to say, in some daily reminder, we are nothing apart from HIM.

Daily we fall into grace. Daily we are reminded that we cannot live without HIM.

And as the battles rages… and it will--Satan wants us to give up… He wants us to throw in the towel and feel helpless, crying out, “Why bother, dear brother!”

On the other side, God is standing in, not surprised, not anxious but calmly waiting… He already knows where this is going….

You and me, all of US--Into the arms of our precious Savior…

As we--Fall into Grace, His Grace…

And when we stand before our Lord, we will know… we will worship… we will praise… HIM

He will only see us through the love of His Son and the forgiveness of the CROSS.

He Loves Me

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1John4:18)

As a little girl, I would pick flowers and ponder the love of my newest romance. He loves me, he loves me not. If the last petal did not end on what I desired, I would start over. Eventually, I would find the flower that found my beloved answer.

In exerts from the book -- He Loves Me by Wayne Jacobsen

The author compares this example of our innocent pursuits of love to that of our Savior. Do we not play this very game with God? Maybe not plucking flowers but what about circumstances of life.

I got a raise-- He loves me
I lost my job-- He loves me not
Something in the Bible inspired me--He loves me
My child is very ill-- He loves me not
I gave money to someone in need -- He loves me
I let my anger get the best of me-- He loves me not
My prayers were answered --He loves me
I told a little white lie-- He loves me not

I have lived (and at times still live) this game...
One of --if I perform, work hard, do well-- He loves me

What is our list of failures or do we just live in a dark whirlpool of self-loathing? -For He loves me not

Satan knows he lost at the Cross. His only battle is to continually fill our head full of lies.. and for many of us.. he does a great job...

Fight back....

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1John3:1)

The Kool Aid Can Kill You

In my post yesterday, Don't Drink The Kool Aid

I have a question...

just one....

WHY

WOULD

GOD

LET

HIS

ONLY

SON

DIE

A

BRUTAL

DEATH

IF

THERE

WERE

ANY

OTHER

WAY?

Don't Drink The Kool Aid!

what are your thoughts?

please stop the music below